Australia just added ‘bachelor’s handbag’ to the dictionary. Can you guess what it means?
- The phrase, which came top in an online vote, combines Australians’ love of irreverent wordplay and chicken – also known as ‘chook’
- Other gems added to the Macquarie Dictionary this year include ‘spicy cough’ for a Covid infection, ‘gigafire’ for a large bushfire and ‘orthosomnia’
![Other variations on the phrase include “tradie’s [tradesperson’s] handbag” and “bachelor’s briefcase”. Photo: K. Y. Cheng](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1200x800/public/d8/images/canvas/2022/11/29/2d81b939-4224-4033-955e-40b4e97d987b_02d7d86e.jpg?itok=ID-WUzp0&v=1669696788)
The Australian English dictionary defined the term as a “noun colloquial (humorous) a takeaway roast chicken”.
It explained its origin as: “From the fact that such a chicken requires no further preparation before consumption, so is seen as an easy meal favoured by a single person, and is often packaged in a small plastic bag with a handle, resembling a handbag.”
The phrase, which came top in an online vote, combines Australians’ love of irreverent wordplay and chicken – also known as “chook”.
Takeaway chicken shops are found in many Australian suburbs and few pub menus fail to offer either chicken schnitzel or chicken parm [Parmigiana].
“We have had a fair bit of feedback that some people call it the tradie’s [tradesperson’s] handbag or the bachelor’s briefcase,” said Macquarie Dictionary managing editor Victoria Morgan.